Baka Not Nice (real name has been buzzing for a minute now. A recent increase in musical activity signifies that big things are about to pop off for the Canadian rapper. Still, Baka remains somewhat of an enigma, and as it stands, there isn’t much in the way of information on the up-and-comer. Therefore, it seems fitting to shed some light on OVO’s latest signee, so sit back and catch up on the mystery that is Baka Not Nice.
He Was Drake’s Former Security Guard
Baka Not Nice was Drake’s longtime friend and former bodyguard, and always had Drizzy’s back. When Houston rapper Sauce Walka took aim at Drake, Baka was quick to step in, firing off some retaliatory shots in a since-deleted Instagram post. Still, it shows that Baka’s loyalty runs deep, and he’s willing to step in to handle business if need be.
He Made His Introduction On Several Drake Songs
Baka made his musical debut on the Nothing Was The Same track “From Time,” where he came through with the outro. He made further appearances on More Life, delivering the “Free Smoke” outro, and providing some background vocals for “Gyalchester.”
He Was Arrested For Human Trafficking And Assault
In June 2014, when Drake was working on If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, Baka was arrested on several charges, including human trafficking. While it’s difficult to obtain concrete details about the case, Baka was initially accused of allegedly “forcing a 22-year-old woman into prostitution,” assaulting her, and uttering death threats.
In 2015, Baka plead guilty of assaulting the undisclosed woman, an on-again-off-again girlfriend. According to Crown attorney Katherine Rogozinsky, the assault went down after the woman came home to discover Baka passed out drunk, while french fries were “burning” in the oven. She began to chastise him, which led to Baka pushing her to the floor, where she allegedly “cried for an hour.” He apologized, but the woman ultimately called police a week later.
The Toronto Sun reports that the human trafficking and procuring for prostitution charges were eventually dropped, when the woman in question spoke to police and ultimately refused to testify. Rogozinsky confirms that the alleged victim was in no way coerced, and has since broken off her relationship with Baka.
Baka was sentenced to six months, but was allowed to go free after previously spending ten months in custody after his initial arrest in 2014.
Drake Celebrated His Release On Instagram
When Baka was in jail, Drake gave him a shout out on the song “Know Yourself,” rapping “I might declare it a holiday as soon as Baka get back on the road.” When Baka was released on April 7th, 2015, Drake celebrated the occasion by giving Baka an appreciative public co-sign on Instagram.
On June 27th, 2017, Baka Joined The OVO Family
After deciding to focus on music, Baka found himself signing to one of hip-hop’s biggest labels, joining the ranks of Drake, PARTYNEXTDOOR, dvsn, Maji Jordan, 40 & more. Baka posted a video of the milestone, which finds Drake delivering a speech before pulling out the contract to make it official. You can even hear French Montana shouting out words on encouragement in the background.
He’s Been Steady Dropping Bangers
However you might feel about Baka Not Nice's legal woes, the man has clearly been putting in work on his craft, and appears to have put his previous transgressions behind him. In the past few months, Baka has dropped several singles, including “Live Up To My Name,” “Money In The Bank,” and “I Am Who I Am.” The former has already amassed 4.5 million plays on Soundcloud.